The Northwest Pinball and Arcade Show will happen this weekend (June 6 – 8) at the Tacoma Convention Center! Like every year there will be many (100’s) of pinball machines and arcade games set to free-play for your enjoyment with the cost of admission.
One of the highlights of this year’s show will be a Marco Specialties/Stern Pinball’s
joint booth featuring many of the most recent Stern pins including the newest one: Mustang. Marco usually brings an overhead camera so that you can watch the game play of the newest pinball machine which is always fun to look at while you’re waiting in line to play.
This year NW PAAS will have a plethora of pinball tournaments for all skill levels and
interests. For the more experienced players there will be a Classics PinGolf and All-Match-Play Tournaments 
throughout the weekend with full IFPA points (points!). Friday will have a Rookies Tournament for those who are haven’t played in an organized tournament before and a special edition of the monthly Babes in Pinland will be held on Saturday for ladies only. Various tournaments for children will also be held on Saturday and Sunday in the Kids Zone. For a complete listing of times and rules go here.
Speakers this year include: Jersey Jack Guarnieri and Butch Peel of Jersey Jack Pinball; game designer Mark Ritchie (Fish Tales, Taxi); artist Pat McMahon (Tales of the Arabian Nights, Junk Yard); and a co-presentation by Steve Ritchie and David
Thiel about the making of last year’s Star Trek. If you’re interested in pinball repair and restoration you won’t want to miss Friday when there are many different seminars about these topics. Go to the NW PAAS website for a complete schedule. The show’s Face Book page is also a wealth of information.
If you are taking the bus from Seattle we have a detailed article about that in the post below. If you are spending the night(s) in Tacoma don’t forget that most of the stores in the neighborhood close before midnight (sadly the IGA on Pacific is now closed 
according to Yelp). There are lots of restaurants nearby though and of course Dorky’s is only a few blocks away.
Visitors from out of the area will be tempted to visit Seattle since it is a short drive away. Go for it! Our Seattle Pinball List and Skill Shot App (Android) will give you directions on the area’s local pinball hotspots. As in previous years the most recent issue of Skill Shot (Seattle’s Pinball Zine) and a selection of back issues will be available at the registration/ticket area of the show (free!) so don’t forget to pick up a few copies if you don’t already have them.
Have fun and support local pinball!